The Voyage of the Dawn Treader The Supernatural

A fantasy novel, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader features a variety of supernatural elements, including magic spells, invisibility, fantastic creatures like dragons and mermaids, and the ability to travel between different worlds. The supernatural elements of the story blend cleanly into the mystical ones, and it can be difficult to know where magic ends and spiritual miracles begin. Supernatural elements in this book are used for awakening awe and belief, which can then be redirected toward more spiritual ends.

Questions About The Supernatural

1. How does The Voyage of the Dawn Treader balance supernatural elements with spiritual ones? Consider Aslan's role in the book and his relationship with the magicians and fantasy creatures that the characters encounter.
2. How important are the supernatural and fantasy elements to the plot of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader? Would it be possible for Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace to learn the same lessons if their voyage were completely non-magical?
3. Consider the magicians Coriarkin and Ramandu. How does our reaction to them change when we learn that they used to be stars in the sky? How does this make them different from the stock characters of magicians or wizards in other fantasy novels?

Chew on This

Magic in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader serves to capture the attention of the characters and the reader, but it ultimately redirects that attention toward miracles and spiritual truths.

The presence of other supernatural creatures in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader serves to conceal the strangeness of Aslan himself.